eBay

ireactions · ‎01-24-2020

Bought a 32GB open box Chromebook, received a 16GB model with screen damage. Seller said no refunds, no returns, and blamed eBay for the incorrect information in her ad. I asked eBay to intervene. eBay refunded me and said that because the seller refused to provide a shipping label, I would not have to return the item.

After the return was closed, the seller later said that I am responsible for paying return shipping and saying that if it is returned to her damaged (which it was when I received it), she would sue. eBay said not to pay for shipping, and I told her I would not return it at my own cost. She now says that because I refuse to return it, she will sue me and eBay.

Has anything like this happened to anyone before? And what was the outcome?

reallynicestamps · ‎01-24-2020

Fat chance.

If she sends the return shipping label (if she is in the USA she can use Shippo to send you a Canada Post label, but you may have to send her a link to Canada Post for the value of the label-- no money just a link to the information), then you return the item.

If she's in Canada she can send you a Canada Post label.

As a nice person, you should use the provided label to return the unwanted item, well packed to prevent damage. It will drive her crazy/crazier.

NO RETURNS DOES NOT MEAN NO REFUNDS.

The rest is a stubborn nitwit blowing smoke.

Let her know about the return label, then delete any emails or eBay messages you get from her.

And add her to your Blocked Buyer List, with No Communication, even if you never plan to sell anything.

Otherwise, this is a commercial dispute, which was mediated by eBay and there is not much more she can do.

Even opening a Small Claims Court suit costs money and there is no mechanism to force payment from the loser of the suit.

Most people who talk about lawsuits, have never been involved in a lawsuit and are unaware of the costs.

For example, it's a rare lawyer who would charge less than $300 for a preliminary interview.

View solution in original post

reallynicestamps · ‎01-24-2020

Fat chance.

If she sends the return shipping label (if she is in the USA she can use Shippo to send you a Canada Post label, but you may have to send her a link to Canada Post for the value of the label-- no money just a link to the information), then you return the item.

If she's in Canada she can send you a Canada Post label.

As a nice person, you should use the provided label to return the unwanted item, well packed to prevent damage. It will drive her crazy/crazier.

NO RETURNS DOES NOT MEAN NO REFUNDS.

The rest is a stubborn nitwit blowing smoke.

Let her know about the return label, then delete any emails or eBay messages you get from her.

And add her to your Blocked Buyer List, with No Communication, even if you never plan to sell anything.

Otherwise, this is a commercial dispute, which was mediated by eBay and there is not much more she can do.

Even opening a Small Claims Court suit costs money and there is no mechanism to force payment from the loser of the suit.

Most people who talk about lawsuits, have never been involved in a lawsuit and are unaware of the costs.

For example, it's a rare lawyer who would charge less than $300 for a preliminary interview.

strange*highways · ‎01-25-2020

She isn't going to sue you relax.

Your seller is in the United States where people sue everyone for everything.

A cousin of mine who is in the Police in a major US city tells me they have a problem with people involved in serious road accidents phoning their Lawyers first before calling the emergency services.

The only place I am aware of where ebay buyers and sellers routinely launch law suits in in the UK where it only cost £10 around $17 Canadian to file suit in a county court.

ireactions · ‎01-26-2020

@strange*highways's response is incomprehensible to me.

@strange*highways wrote:
She isn't going to sue you relax.

Except @strange*highways goes on to say:

@strange*highways wrote:
Your seller is in the United States where people sue everyone for everything.
A cousin of mine who is in the Police in a major US city tells me they have a problem with people involved in serious road accidents phoning their Lawyers first before calling the emergency services.

The seller lives in a country where "people sue everyone for everything." As I fall under "everyone" and the Chromebook falls under "everything," @strange*highways's first statement seems to contradicts the second.

Anyway, I'm going to go with the clear, coherent advice from @reallynicestamps saying:

@reallynicestamps wrote:
If she sends the return shipping label (if she is in the USA she can use Shippo to send you a Canada Post label, but you may have to send her a link to Canada Post for the value of the label-- no money just a link to the information), then you return the item.

Thanks for clarifying this. I've given up on returning the Chromebook to her. She seems pathologically incapable of accepting responsibility for herself and her actions. When I pointed out her ad falsely advertised 32GB, she wrote back, "That's eBay's fault, not mine! No return, no refund!"

When I got my refund and asked her for a prepaid shipping label, she wrote back, "YOU want to return it so YOU have to pay!" and "If it isn't perfect, I will file charges!"

eBay wrote me a message which I forwarded to her. eBay wrote: "I can see that your seller failed to provide a return label. This is good news, because you will be receiving your full refund without requiring to return the item back to your seller."

The seller replied: "I am filing a lawsuit against you and eBay and calling the police!"

@reallynicestamps wrote:
The rest is a stubborn nitwit blowing smoke. Otherwise, this is a commercial dispute, which was mediated by eBay and there is not much more she can do. Even opening a Small Claims Court suit costs money and there is no mechanism to force payment from the loser of the suit. Most people who talk about lawsuits, have never been involved in a lawsuit and are unaware of the costs. For example, it's a rare lawyer who would charge less than $300 for a preliminary interview.

Thank you so much for this information.

mcrlmn · ‎01-26-2020

Ignore the seller's empty threats regarding the junk this crack shipped to you.
Don't correspond with this seller any further.
If you receive a return shipping label which includes tracking, send the item back.
If not, the matter is closed and you can move on.
I'd wait a few months before dropping off the Chromebook at your local recycling outlet.

A law suit will never happen.